Reagent feeder



April 14, 19.42. D M|| 5 y 2,279,758

REAGENT FEEDERv Filed July 25, 1958 AU. u,

yATTORNEY Patented Apr. 14, 1942 REAGENT FEEDER Louis-D. Mills, Palo Alto, Calif., assignor to The Merrill Company, San Francisco, Calif., a corporation of California Applicationiuiy 25, 193s, serai No. 221,161-

(cl. azi-97) 6 Claims.

This invention relates generally to liquid re agent feeders 'such as are employed to supply measured quantities of a liquid reagent ior'various industrial processes.

It is an object of the invention to provide apparatus of the above character which will have both mechanical simplicity and a high degree of accuracy. f v

Another object is to aiford'an improved reagent feeder of the revolving bucket type which will eliminate objectionable splashing or dripping of reagent.

Further objects of the `invention will' appear from the following description in which the preferred embodiment of vthe Yinvention has been set forthin detail in conjunction with the accompanying drawing.

Referring to the drawing:

Fig; 1 is a side elevationalview, illustrating apparatus incorporating the present invention.

Fig. 2 is an end view partly in section of the apparatus shown' in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional View taken along the line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

The apparatus as illustrated in the drawing act with ordinary metals, it is desirable to use `a i suitable wood such as redwood.` Above the container there is a horizontal rotatable shaft I I, carried by journals I2. Any suitable source of power can be employed to driveshaft Il at al constant speed, such as a constant speed electric motor I3, connected to shaft II through the pulleys I4 and I5 and belt I6.

Arms I1 are fixed to one end of the shaft H, and the free ends of these arms carry small reagent-cups or buckets IB. Themounting of each cup I8 to its associated arm II is such thatr the cup can be individually adjusted about a horizontal axis, Thus in the instance illustrated a bolt I9 forms theA adjustable attachment, andthe cup is held spaced with respect to arm I?, by the collar or spacer 2 I.

To receive the discharge of liquid from cups I8, a circular member 22 is provided, and the periphery of 4this member is grooved to form a f arrangement illustrated, member 22 is attached to the wooden cross member 24, which in'turn is attachedv tothe side walls ofthe container I0.

The discharge of reagent from the apparatus is by way of a discharge pipe or spout 25. This pipe has a swivel attachment 26 to member- 22, as shown in Fig. 1, and' its inner end isrin: communication with a duct 27,' leading upwardly and communicating with the trough 23 in member 22. The swivel attachment 26 permits angular adjustment of pipe 25 to various positions as k indicated in Fig. 1.v

Operation of the apparatus described above, is as follows: The shaft Il is driven at a constant speed, and cups IB move in a circular path and periodically dip into the liquid in container'l.' As a cup moves upwardly out of the liquid it is filled or substantially filled with liquid, and this liquid is carriedv upwardly until the cupapproaches the upper part of the path of movement.r Here as the cup tilts the liquid is gradually discharged into the trough 23, and at least aipart of the discharge occurs while the cupis progressing over the uppermost point a of the trough 23. Thus during the time that each cup is discharging, a part of the discharge occurs before thecup reaches the uppermost limit of its movement, or in other words to the right of point a, while the remainder of the discharge takes place after the cup has passed the top of its movement, or in other words to the left of point a as viewed in Fig. l; Thus a part of the discharge from each cup flows forwardly to enter duct 2l, while another part flows backwardly and is returned to the container.

The rate of feed from pipe 25 can be adjusted in two different ways. A change in the angular setting of the cups with respect to the arms Il, aord's an approximate adjustment, becausev it controls the ratio between that part of the reagent which flows forwardly toward the duct 21, and that part which ows backwardly into the container.

A liner or more delicate adjustment can be had by changingthe angular setting of pipe 25. With this pipe tilted downwardly (see lowermost dotted line portion of Fig. 1) substantially all of the liquidflowing toward it down the trough 23 is received by duct 29 and discharged. When pipe 25 is tilted upwardly, as for example to the solid line position of Fig. 1, duct 21 acts as a liquid well, and over a substantial range of adjustment in the proximity of such position, varying amounts of the liquid received by duct 21 are caused to overflow and are returned to the container, Under such conditions the level of liquid in duct 21 remains constant over a substantial l plicity and accuracy, the apparatus operates without splashing or dripping of the reagent, such as is experienced with prior reagent feeders of the rotatry bucket type. This is because-the discharge from the cups or buckets is received by the trough 23 without splashing, and the ow back to the container occurs entirely over-thev periphery of member 22. Splashing of liquid reagent is undesirable not only because it may' involve some inaccuracy in the rate of feed, but also because it results in rustingor corrosion of metal parts. I claim: f 1. In a, reagent feeder, a liquid container, a cup, means forming a rotatable mounting for the cup whereby the cup moves in a circular path, the circular path being such that the cup periodically dips into liquid in the container, means f forming a ow dividing trough underlying the upper portion of the path of movement of-the cup, the trough lbeing sloped downwardly in opposite directions from an uppermost intermediate point, and'means forremoving vliquid reagent flowing down said trough at one side of said medial point, the portion of 'said trough at the other side of said medial point providing va re.-l

turn path to said container.

2. In a reagent feeder, a liquid'container, a cup, means forming a rotatable mounting for the cup about a substantially horizontalaxis whereby the cup is moved in a circular path in an upright plane, the spacing of said cup from said axis and the spacing of said axis relative to said container providing a path of movement of the cup causing it to periodically dipinto liquid in the container, a substantially circularly contoured member disposed within the path of movement of said cup and extending into the liquid in said container, said member having a grooved periphery forming an arcuate flow dividing trough underlying the,` upper portion of the path of movement of the cup, and means for removing liquid from one point on the trough disposed below the uppermost point of the same, the other side of said trough providing a return path to said container.

3. In a reagentfeeder, a liquid container, a cup, means forming a rotatable mounting for the cup whereby the cup is caused to move in a circular path extending into said container, the circular path being in an upright plane whereby for the lower portion of said path the cup dips into liquid in the container, said mounting means having an adjustable connection with said cup enabling individual angular adjustment of the cup about a horizontal, axis, a iiow di..

` Y, and an arcuate flow dividing trough underlying` cup, means forming a rotatable mounting for the cup to provide a path of movement for the 'cup extending into the container whereby the pathy of movement of the cup causes it to pe- Vriodically dip into liquid in the container, a

member forming a ow dividing trough underlying the upper yportion of the path of movement of the cup, and means for removing v'reagent from one portion Vof the trough, said last means including a generally upright duct formed in said member and having its upper end communieating with the trough, and a discharge pipe havingl one end of the same connected tothe lower portion of said duct, the angular position of said pipe with respect to the horizontal being adjustable to regulate liquid now from the duct to the pipe.' Y

5. In a reagent feeder, aiy liquid container, a cup; means mountingsaid cup for movement in a circular path in an upright plane `with the lower portion of said path extending into the liquid Vin said container, saidmounting means including an adjustable support for said cup to enable change in its angular position thereon,

and closely adjacent rthe upper portion of said lpath for receiving liquid from said cup, one portion of said trough having means for Vremoving solution from a point below the uppermost portion thereof and the other portion of said trough providing a return pathto said container, wherebythe angularly adjusted position of said .cup controls the amount of liquid therein delivered to said removing means andthe amount returned to said container.

6. In a reagent feeder, a liquid container, a cup; means mounting said cup for movement in ar circular path in an upright plane with the lower position of said path extending into the liquid in said container, `said mounting means including an adjustable support for said cupto enable change in its angular position therein, an arcuate ow dividing trough underlying and closely adjacent the upper4 portion of said path forreceiving liquid from said cup, .oneportion of Asaid trough havingmeans for removing solution from a point below the uppermost portion lthereof and the other 'portion of said trough providing a return'path to said container, whereby the angularlyv adjusted position of said cup controls the amount of liquid therein delivered to said removingv means and the amount returned to said container, and a discharge pipe leading from said removing means and mounted for adjustment withl respect to the horizontal to regulate liquid ow therethrough.

' LOUIS D. MILLS. 

